My first engagement shoot..c/c please?

WingsOfLovePhotoWingsOfLovePhoto Registered Users Posts: 797 Major grins
edited July 6, 2009 in Weddings
Happy Monday Dgrinners! I did my first engagement shoot yesterday and also edited them for the first time in Lightroom...wow that's hard to get used to but I really like the presets! I was wondering if you could peruse the gallery of Sadiki and Neil

http://wingsoflove.smugmug.com/gallery/8813599_F8Ggu/1/583677851_4qXjR

and let me know how I did, especially with the white balance and exposure on this cute African American couple. Darker skin has been a challenge to me. I will be doing their wedding in October and would appreciate knowing if I did this ok before there are no do-overs! Any advice would be appreciated!
Snady :thumb
my money well spent :D
Nikon D4, D3s, D3, D700, Nikkor 24-70, 70-200 2.8 vrII, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm macro, sigma fisheye, SB 800's and lots of other goodies!

Comments

  • QarikQarik Registered Users Posts: 4,959 Major grins
    edited July 6, 2009
    I think you did well wrt to the skinclap.gif ..just a nit I think there was some "shine" in their skin but it was only very mild and I don't know what you would do to combat that since it appears you were in the shade. headscratch.gif

    The posing was just okay..if there was anything to really improve this would be it. They look abit awkward/unrelaxed in more then a handful of shots.
    D700, D600
    14-24 24-70 70-200mm (vr2)
    85 and 50 1.4
    45 PC and sb910 x2
    http://www.danielkimphotography.com
  • zoomerzoomer Registered Users Posts: 3,688 Major grins
    edited July 6, 2009
    You will love lightroom and the presets once you have used it a few times.

    Watch your backgrounds, find good backgrounds and then place them into it.

    My favorites are the ones where they are sitting in the grass, those came out nice.

    Watch for things coming out of their heads behind them. Try to get them to not lock their eyes into the camera, very hard to make a couple look natural when they are staring into the camera.

    The skin looks good to me, the background paid the price by being to bright.
    If you use your fill flash you can expose the couple properly and also the background.

    Looks like you had a good time.
    http://www.flickr.com/photos/21695902@N06/
    http://500px.com/Shockey
    alloutdoor.smugmug.com
    http://aoboudoirboise.smugmug.com/
  • WingsOfLovePhotoWingsOfLovePhoto Registered Users Posts: 797 Major grins
    edited July 6, 2009
    Qarik wrote:
    I think you did well wrt to the skinclap.gif ..just a nit I think there was some "shine" in their skin but it was only very mild and I don't know what you would do to combat that since it appears you were in the shade. headscratch.gif

    The posing was just okay..if there was anything to really improve this would be it. They look abit awkward/unrelaxed in more then a handful of shots.

    Thanks Qarik...I will de-shine in the photos they decide to purchase. Most African Americans have shiny skin.... we tried powder but it didn't help much...was kinda of warm out.... We were in the shade and all exisiting light.... As far as the posing....they were feeling very awkward in the begining but started to loosen towards the end...hopefully they will be looser at the wedding!
    Snady :thumb
    my money well spent :D
    Nikon D4, D3s, D3, D700, Nikkor 24-70, 70-200 2.8 vrII, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm macro, sigma fisheye, SB 800's and lots of other goodies!
  • WingsOfLovePhotoWingsOfLovePhoto Registered Users Posts: 797 Major grins
    edited July 6, 2009
    zoomer wrote:
    You will love lightroom and the presets once you have used it a few times.

    Watch your backgrounds, find good backgrounds and then place them into it.

    My favorites are the ones where they are sitting in the grass, those came out nice.

    Watch for things coming out of their heads behind them. Try to get them to not lock their eyes into the camera, very hard to make a couple look natural when they are staring into the camera.

    The skin looks good to me, the background paid the price by being to bright.
    If you use your fill flash you can expose the couple properly and also the background.

    Looks like you had a good time.

    Thanks for the tips Zoomer... I think I will like lightroom! Once I get the droplet thing undercontrol I think it will be good. On these portraits I wanted to do a level of portraiture and unsharp mask so each I had to send to Photoshop for that then back to export. I couldn't make the export with the processing work for that for some reason

    I have to find more places for photos. We just don't seem to have the scenery close by that you do! These were all taken at Vassar College but with alot of people milling around on a Sunday and I am not sure they were feeling all that comfortable but it got better towards the end.

    I decided against the fill because if the shiny face thing...wanted to do less in post....I don't expect alot of print sales from this so I wasn't too worried...just wanted to see how we blended before the wedding and they will have one framed as part of my package.

    Thanks again for taking the time to look! Maybe I need to fly you to NY so you can teach me to get great portraits like yours!
    Snady :thumb
    my money well spent :D
    Nikon D4, D3s, D3, D700, Nikkor 24-70, 70-200 2.8 vrII, 50mm 1.4, 85mm 1.4, 105mm macro, sigma fisheye, SB 800's and lots of other goodies!
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